Love is...

Love is spending three days (not continuously, but on and off) filling out forms, so that one's sons can get their naturalization certificates. Did I mention how I hate filling out forms? Will be interesting to see how long it will take to get those processed. Since my naturalization went so fast, I am hoping this will go fast too. I mailed them today.



Love also is having a friend who is willing to delay her workout to help one with filling out said forms. Thank you, flyingfisher!

Happy Love Thursday!

Our Totem

Look who showed up in our backyard?



We had seen signs (yes, deer poop) before, but this was the first time ever we saw one 'in person' in the yard.



Not the best pictures, but I just had to share. Life is good!

Wet Summer

It has rained almost every day in July so far. Many big storms too, my basement started leaking again, which is annoying (not in a bad way, but just annoying). Some day I'll have to actually get it fixed I guess.

• Today: A chance of thunderstorms. May be severe with large hail and damaging winds;
• Monday: Chance of T-storms;
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny;
• Wednesday: Chance of showers;
• Thursday: Chance of rain;
• Friday: Chance of precipitation;
• Saturday: Chance of showers;

Begging for a LOLcatz Caption

Violin Lessons

A long, long time ago, I used to play the violin. I played in a bunch of orchestras, visited foreign countries, and had a great time at it. Then life happened, and I didn't really play any more.



Fast forward many years, and Dawn and Jane decided they want violin lessons. Today, we observed a lesson. Tomorrow, I will talk to the teacher and then we can sign them up. Lessons are taught using the suzuki method, will be fun!

Bonus points if you can find me on this old old picture.

The Ocean

After the naturalization ceremony, we decided that we were so close to Maine, we really should visit there. None of us ever had been in Maine yet, do this was a fun first thing to do as new Americans.



We spent some time just enjoying the ocean, followed by finding a cache at a light house, and swimming in the ocean! It was frigging COLD. As in cold, cold, cold! I found out that one should not float in the ocean in such a way that the waves enter one's nostrils and mouth when they break on said person. Just saying.



Since the Portsmouth fireworks had been canceled, and we all really enjoy watching fireworks, we did some asking around about the closest town which would have fireworks. This means we drove a bit more North, and watched fireworks in Kennebunk, Maine, right at the beach and the ocean. Very special!


2018 Update: Ten Years later! Cees lives close to Maine now, studying at UNH using the GI bill. And my current husband Tom, proposed to me in Maine, with egrets watching. And I said yes :) Just arrived in Maine for a summer get-away!

Sisters

Quote of the Day

Erik 'Mama! I accidentally lied on my silly putty!'

Summer!

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.
--James Dent




"People take pictures of the Summer, just in case someone thought they had missed it, and to prove that it really existed."
-- Ray Davies



"Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language."
-- Henry James



"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time."
-- John Lubbock



"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
-- William Shakespeare



When fortune empties her chamber pot on your head, smile and say We are going to have a summer shower.
--John A. Macdonald

Humans 101

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Copy righted by Jane